Whole House Remodel

Every picture tells a story…and the pictures associated with this remodel tell quite a few — which should come as no surprise given the history of this home. Our job was to bring those disparate stories together into one seamless tale of beauty, comfort, and grace. Mission accomplished!

Vision

This home was moved to its present location in the Boise foothills in the 1960s, at which time an addition was built. Some 20 years later a second level was added. The ground floor living space was subsequently divided into several areas, out of which our vision was to open up and integrate an updated kitchen, dining room, and family room. The dramatic transformation that followed was based on yet another collaboration with Gina Wagner of Seed Interiors.

Challenge

It’s not often that a floor is the starting point for all the elements in a remodel, but the structural reality of this project was that we were dealing with different floor systems from the home’s past. An even more significant structural challenge that we faced was in removing the posts and walls of the main living area — no small feat when you consider that they were supporting the second level!

Accomplishment

We unified the floor system by starting at its highest point and leveling it using a laser, then laying down a roasted oak hardwood (the color that you see in the photos is natural, not a stain). We removed the walls and posts of the former kitchen area and spanned it with a steel beam for structural support, then reframed the entire system to raise the ceiling height as much as possible. By taking out a wall system we created a dining area separated from the kitchen by a large cabinet unit, with a pocket door added for additional separation if desired. We converted a space that had formerly been a large closet accessible off the main hallway into a kitchen pantry. For the adjoining family room we kept the fireplace in the same location, but installed a new unit and surround, then wrapped the ceiling beams so that we could stain them the same color as the mantle and flooring. We also updated the lighting and redid the ceiling texture.

Highlights

To say that this remodel involved some focused effort is an understatement, but the before and after results speak for themselves. After all, a picture is worth a thousand words.